3. Will Hurd – Leicester Tigers
Tight-head prop Will Hurd has earned himself a call-up into Gregor Townsend’s side, and is another talent who England fans could have had in their squad. Born in Leicestershire, Hurd could have been on the cards to fill the upcoming tight-head void, when Dan Cole retires from England and Kyle Sinckler reportedly moves on to Toulon. However, having achieved age group honours with Scotland U20s, Hurd was already well on the radar for Townsend, who managed to keep the talent under-wraps.
One of the Premiership’s top emerging props, Hurd has been plying his trade at the Tigers throughout sporadic loans away from Welford Road. Hurd has previously gained valuable game time at Championship club Nottingham, as well as with Scottish Super Series club Sterling County RFC. The signs had long been there for Hurd’s calling into the iconic dark blue, with the 24-year-old now given his shot for the upcoming Six Nations. Hurd could well show England fans what they missed out on, as Borthwick’s men travel to Murrayfield at the end of February.
Hurd made his Leicester Tigers debut back in 2021, when he came off the bench in a Champions Cup victory over Connacht. He has since gone on to make 37 appearances for the East Midlanders, and reinforced the ranks throughout the Tigers’ Premiership winning campaign of 2021/22. Hurd has made 13 caps for the Tigers so far this season, with his most recent start being a gruelling 76-minute run out against Premiership champions Saracens back in November. He is yet to find his way to the try-line for Leicester, yet would want nothing more than to mark his test match debut with a long awaited try.
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